Joshua Robbins, 23, fell to his death from a balcony (Image: PA)
A mum is warning people who live in blocks of flats following the death of her son after he plunged to death when the railing on the balcony of a housing association block reportedly gave way.
Joshua Robbins, 23, was looking out for a pizza he had ordered from the communal balcony outside the flat where he lived with his dad, when he fell five floors to his death, his mum said.
The incident happened at the Holborn flat in London at around 8.20pm on January 29. Images shared on social media showed a police forensics tent outside the block with the railings missing from the fifth-floor balcony.
His heartbroken mum, Fiona Garrett, has launched the “no more falls” campaign in honour of her son, and is urging everyone who lives in high-rise buildings to demand landlords to check the safety of their railings.
« We should not be planning a cremation. We should not be waiting for pathology reports. We should not be writing statements like this or trying to navigate trauma and bureaucracy at the same time. We are seeking answers not only for Josh, but so that no other family ever has to endure this pain. Not one more, » she told MyLondon.
A fundraiser is also being ran by the family to help the secure legal representation, as well as cover the financial implications of Josh’s unexpected death. The mother is demanding answers from Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association, who she says manage the property.
Joshua Robbins (Image: Handout )
The 46-year-old, who lives in Claudy, Co Londonderry, but is originally from Essex, emailed her son’s local MP, the Prime Minister, requesting a meeting as part of her campaign for justice.
She told the Press Association: “They came back straight away and they were like we want to help and they’re asking for information and stuff so that’s good. It did bring comfort actually.
“I thought oh well, if I get a reply it would just be your bog standard, written by someone else (response) and he just won’t even know that it’s gone out, but the fact that he wrote it so he actually signed it himself at the bottom and wrote a little bit extra, it did seem really genuine.
Keir Starmer wrote that inquiries “have been made and we will continue to do all we can to help you get answers”, adding that his constituency office will “remain in regular contact”. He handwrote: “My thoughts are with you” before signing his name.
A meeting has not yet been arranged and while investigations take place no inquest date has been set.
Ms Garrett said she wants to know “everything” about the circumstances of her son’s death and is driven by “adrenaline and rage” to get the answers she and her family need.
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“I just worry that it’ll be a bit like Grenfell, they’ll start passing the buck of oh well we own the building but we didn’t do that, that was contracted to oh, but we only did it for this,” she said.
Paying tribute to her son she said: « Josh was deeply loved. He was gentle, kind, and quietly thoughtful — the sort of young man who made people feel valued in his company. He had plans and hopes for the future. Our lives have been irrevocably changed by his death. »
Pippa Fleetwood-Read, Chief Executive at Islington & Shoreditch Housing Association (ISHA) said: “The death of Joshua Robbins is deeply saddening, and everyone at ISHA sends our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.
« We are fully cooperating with the police and their investigation, but at this early stage it would be inappropriate to comment further until the full facts surrounding the incident have been established.”
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